Weekender getaway

The capital is set to witness the big daddy of music festivals today: the Bacardi NH7 Weekender

From Oscar-winning music composer A.R. Rahman and Melbourne folk duo Pierce Brothers to Scottish rockers Mogwai — the multi-city music festival Bacardi NH7 weekender brings together musicians and fans of different genres under one roof to experience a moment of musical togetherness. The Intersection of 205 and 221 Delhi Road, Dwarka, Sector 10 is the new address for the fest featuring some of the finest musicians from across the world. We speak to the organisers, participating artists and fans about the preparations and excitement for the musical extravaganza.

Vijay Nair, co-founder of OML Entertainment, who organises NH7 Weekender along with his team, plans to achieve international standards when it comes to the festival’s accessibility and conveniences. “After three years of being staged at Buddh International Circuit on Noida Expressway, this year’s edition is being held in the capital,” he says and adds that conceptualising and improvising on the show required substantial effort. “This year we have made special efforts to make the grounds disabled-friendly.”

He goes on, “Within the festival grounds, stages will be connected by mud tracks for smooth wheelchair movement. Viewing platforms will be located next to the sound consoles with ramps to provide access for riders using wheelchairs, scooters, crutches, walkers or other mobility aids. Ear plugs for those with hearing impairment would also be available at the venue.”

Among the performances to look forward to are Pakistani pop rock band Noori, considered to be one of the pioneers of the Pakistani rock music scene. Songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Ali Noor along with his brother Ali Hamza formed the group in 1996. They put forth: “For our Indian listeners, we are very excited about sharing a collaborative piece that we did with folktronica duo Hari-Sukhmani. It is a Punjabi song called Yaarian that took us almost two years to complete along with the video. We are waiting for the right time to share it with the world — which is right here!”

For Dr L. Subramaniam, an acclaimed Indian violinist, the festival would be a novel experience giving an opportunity to connect with a younger audience. He shares, “I am so happy to be sharing the stage with such talented artists from across the globe. It’s a totally unique approach to music festivals that involves a lot of young energy and the organisers have done it so meticulously. I am looking forward to performing in such a set-up. It will be a different kind of audience from what I have played to in the past. It will be really rewarding for me and everybody involved.”

Subir Malik, one of the lead members of Parikrama, was among one of the few musicians who performed at the first edition of the festival in 2010, and he is now all set to rock the stage once again. He says, “Festivals like these are a wonderful means to open up the minds of people and expose them to different genres of music. The best part about such fests is a mixed line of talented artists that attracts people of all age groups and with varied tastes — be it an EDM enthusiast or even a fusion rock lover, you connect with everybody under one platform.”

Another city-based band Faridkot, who gained popularity with “Vote for Peace” concert across the globe, is enthralled to be a part of the fest. They share, “Festivals like this give artistes like us who love to experiment with their music, the absolute freedom to play what we love. Expect a lot of juicy, tasty and fun songs.”